University of Wisconsin President Ray Cross on Tuesday asked the Legislature's budget-writing committee to approve a new public authority for the UW System, a "dedicated and stable funding stream" and to reduce the governor's proposed $300 million budget cut over the next two years.

Shortly after he finished his testimony, a handful of protesters burst into the room shouting, "No cuts, no deals." Followed by four Capitol police officers, the protesters marched past the table where Cross was sitting to give testimony before the Joint Committee on Finance.

If Park Bank is liable for not spotting Sujata "Sue" Sachdeva's $34 million embezzlement from Koss Corp. and has to reimburse the company, Koss Chief Executive Michael Koss should also be ordered to personally pay the public company he runs, the bank argues in a new lawsuit.

Grant Thornton, Koss Corp.'s former auditor, should also have to pay a portion of any award that may be ordered, Park Bank argued in the latest twist in a long-running court fight stemming from Sachdeva's massive embezzlement.

"Park Bank denies any and all liability to Koss in this case," the bank said in its action. "Nevertheless, should Park Bank be found liable to Koss (Corp.) and required to pay damages to Koss, in this case, those damages will have been the result of a common liability of Park Bank, Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, thereby entitling Park Bank to (a) contribution from Michael Koss and Grant Thornton."(3)

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In the beginning egg meets sperm

It is the critical, earliest moment in conception. Now researchers at the Swedish medical university, Karolinska Institutet have produced a three-dimensional portrait of a complete egg receptor, the part of the egg that binds to sperm at the beginning of fertilization. They describe the work in a new paper published in the journal Cell.

Conception begins when the sperm binds to proteins in the extracellular coat of the egg, known as the zona pellucida. Critical to this process is a receptor ZP3.

Using data from the European Synchrotron Radiation facility, scientists in Luca Jovine's research team produced detailed structural information on ZP3. The researchers say their findings may help us understand how mutations in the sperm receptor gene can cause infertility.

"The results give us a remarkable picture of the female side of fertilization," Jovine says. "But this is, of course, half of the story. The next step will be to tackle the corresponding molecules on the sperm that allow it to bind to the egg."

To get a sense of what conception looks like at the molecular level, check out this video:

About Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson covers health and science. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner and four-time finalist.